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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27211015">Slytherin and Proud</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChildofImagination18/pseuds/ChildofImagination18'>ChildofImagination18</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Multi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:01:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,132</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27211015</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChildofImagination18/pseuds/ChildofImagination18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Any new year at Hogwarts comes with its challenges however this year could be the most dangerous and thrilling year since the time of Harry Potter. Albus Potter and his friend Scorpius set out to navigate their 5th year where they will be joined by the rest of the Potter Granger- Weasley clan. As well as the mysterious new girl who Albus seems to know from somewhere.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Albus Severus Potter &amp; Original Female Character(s), Scorpius Malfoy/Rose Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Is he okay?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Start of 5th Year</p><p>It was a crisp September morning. The sun was slowly starting to creep over the trees that surrounded the burrow. A low mist hung above the grass and gave the view an almost secluded feel. Every year the same view greeted Albus on the morning of the first day of school. However, this time Albus could actually appreciate the beauty of the scene before him. For the first time ever, he was excited by the prospect of returning to the Castle that was his school. This year would be different, this year he had Scarlett.<br/>Albus had met Scarlett at the end of his fourth year at Hogwarts. Granted their meeting had not been conventional but they had both hit it off right away. It was strange for Albus to feel such a deep connection with someone he didn't know much about but they just kind of clicked. Albus up until the end of fourth year hadn't had many friends and had what was described as a strained relationship with his family. He had Scorpius and things with his family were starting to improve but he had never felt so at ease with another person in his life.</p><p>"What are you doing up?"</p><p>Startled from his thoughts Albus turned from his place at the window to come face to face with a rather sleepy looking Scorpius. His platinum blonde hair was sticking out in quite amusing directions and Albus could just make out the remnants of yesterday's eyeliner which was now smudged under his eyes.</p><p>"Good morning to you too" Albus laughed</p><p>"Good morning, sorry, I just didn't expect to see you out of bed this early is all" Scorpius explained</p><p>"Well we will be leaving for King's Cross in 2 hours so I wanted to make sure that I had everything well in advanced" Albus replied</p><p>"Wait! Your actually packed and ready to go back to Hogwarts?" Scorpius exclaimed, practically tumbling out of his bed.</p><p>"Yeah, I needed to make sure that Trixie was fed before we left and then I just double checked my packing whilst she was eating." Trixie was Albus's pet snake. No one but Scorpius knew about her or the fact that she would be attending Hogwarts this year along with his owl Beano.</p><p>"That I can understand but your never up in time. Your siblings and parents always have to drag you out of bed in order for you all to make the train" Scorpius said coming to stand next to his best friend.</p><p>"This year is going to be different Scorp, it's going to be better"</p><p>Scorpius silently studied his friend. Albus had changed over the summer. He was now a good 4 inches above Scorpius which was strange as he had always been shorted than him. He also wasn't scrawny anymore; he had become toned and more on the muscular side. His hair had grown slightly longer so it swept slightly in front of his eyes. He looked older. And then there was the scar. Albus never spoke of how he had got it, it just sat to the right of his left eye. Most of the time his hair covered it but Scorpius knew it was there.</p><p>"Are you sure you're okay?" Scorpius murmured. He looked Albus dead in the eye, looking for any sign of hesitation.</p><p>"Scorpius I'm fine, honestly" Albus smiled. It was something he did more now.</p><p>"Good, I just wanted to make sure" He replied.</p><p>A hissing noise came from the side of the bed making them both jump. Trixie slithered onto Albus's bed and began to assess the scene around her.</p><p>"She's got bigger" Scorpius pointed out. He had never really liked snakes but pretended to be cool with Trixie for his friend's sake. He knew how much he loved her.</p><p>Trixie hissed in a warning tone causing Scorpius to move back. Albus began to laugh.</p><p>"What's so funny?" Scorpius demanded.</p><p>"She said you should never comment on a lady's size" Albus replied. Albus was a parsalmouth. It was a skill that was looked upon poorly by many of those in the wizarding world due to its connection to certain dark wizards and Slytherin House. Albus had been unaware of this skill for years. Not even his family knew of his abilities, only Scorpius.</p><p>"I promise I will never comment on it again" Scorpius replied</p><p>"Comment on what?" A voice asked from behind them. Both of them whirled around to see the one and only James Potter stood in the door way wearing his red and gold Gryffindor quidditch jumper.</p><p>"Nothing" Albus replied before quickly blocking Trixie from view long enough for her to sneak away.</p><p>"Not suspicious at all" James drawled "Rose is looking for you by the way Scorpius"</p><p>"Thank you, James, I need to get ready then I will go and find her"</p><p>James smiled before turning to leave. He then halted and turned to look at his brother.</p><p>"You're not wearing that to the station are you Albus?" He asked looking at his brothers emerald green quidditch jumper in distain. Scorpius had only just realised he was wearing it.</p><p>"Slytherin and proud Jamie" Albus smirked before brushing past his brother on to the landing. James following behind sprouting his love for Gryffindor whilst Albus just laughed. Scorpius shook his head fondly before quickly grabbing his things and getting in the shower.</p><p>Downstairs the kitchen was bustling with life. The only people missing were Scorpius, Hugo and the older men of the family. Albus walked into the kitchen with James still hot on his heals chanting about his beloved house. Albus just rolled his eyes before kissing his mum fondly on the forehead and grabbing a few slices of toast.</p><p>"James darling it is far too early for rally cries" His mum said fondly</p><p>"I'm only familiarising the little slytherin over there with the sounds of the quidditch pitch this year, when we win every match" James replied</p><p>Albus, now sat at the table next to his grandfather, burst out laughing. The kitchen went quiet due to the outburst from the middle Potter.</p><p>"First things first my dear Jamie may I remind you that I am infact taller than you. Secondly Gryffindor won't get a chance to produce their rally cries as Slytherin this year will be wiping the floors with you" Albus replied sweetly.</p><p>"That is so true" Scorpius pointed out as he entered the kitchen sporting his matching green quidditch sweater.</p><p>James seemed to be in shock at the outburst from his brother. Never before had they had any banter about quidditch. Albus had never paid the sport any attention so you could have imagined everyone's surprise when he made Seeker last year. He had also been very quiet about his house and never really drew attention to the fact that he was a Slytherin. Having him rep his house so openly was definitely new.</p><p>"Just … you wait" James replied uncertainly</p><p>Albus grinned "Bring it on little brother"</p><p>Before James could retaliate about being called little the front door burst open and in walked Harry and the older Weasley boys as well as Draco Malfoy. All of them were dressed in quidditch gear and holding brooms.</p><p>"Morning Dad" Scorpius greeted before taking his seat between Albus and Rose.</p><p>"Morning Son" His father replied</p><p>"Did you have a good game honey?" Ginny asked whilst coming over to hug her husband. Harry smiled before giving her a quick peck on the lips.</p><p>"Yes we did love. I'm going to have some breakfast and shower and then we can see about getting Albus out of bed on time to get to the station" Harry said</p><p>"No need dad, he's already up" James pointed to his brother</p><p>Harry tried to contain his shock at the vision of his son already sat having breakfast but he didn't do a very good job of it.</p><p>"Are you feeling okay Albus" His father asked</p><p>"Yes dad I'm fine, just ready to get moving" He replied "I'm going to go and catch Beano in his cage, let me know when we are off" Albus placed his plate in the sink before heading outside to find his owl.</p><p>"Okay who was that and what have they done with my son?" Harry asked Scorpius</p><p>Scorpius merely shrugged before continuing his conversation with Rose.</p><p>"Is he okay?" Rose whispered</p><p>"I don't know, I actually might think he's the best I've ever seen him" Scorpius replied</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Troublesome Rat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>15 minutes before needing to leave for Kings Cross</p><p>The sight in front of Albus was probably one of the funniest he had ever seen. To say the burrow was in chaos was an understatement. For the first time ever, things had been running smoothly up until Hugo announced that he had lost his beloved rat Twitch somewhere in the house 10 minutes ago. Those simple words had sparked a flurry of activity from everyone. Every adult in the house was pulling out bookcases or looking behind the sofas and beds. James was "interrogating" every owl as to the where abouts of Twitch. Even Scorpius and Rose had gone searching but Albus suspected they were less interested in finding the rat and more interested in spending some time together whilst Uncle Ron was distracted.</p><p>Albus couldn't blame them to be honest. They very rarely got any time together alone without someone breathing down their necks. They had grown close towards the end of last year which led to them getting together when Albus had gone missing, both looking to the other for support. They really made a cute couple.</p><p>Suddenly a thought flew into Albus's head. No one was better at finding rats than their predators. With a smile he ran up the stairs into his room. Quick as a flash he threw open his trunk and their coiled up with his ties was Trixie. She stared up at him curiously before realising nothing more was being added to the already full trunk.</p><p>"I need your help" Albus said</p><p>"What could you possibly need right now Albus? You are leaving for the station in 10 minutes" Trixiehissed</p><p>"Hugo has lost Twitch and I need your help to find him"</p><p>"That blooming rat, he never learns does he" Trixie spat before slithering out of the trunk.</p><p>"Trixie remember to just find him; you can't eat him" Albus warned</p><p>"I'll try to remember that" She said before winking at him.</p><p>Albus shook his head fondly as she slithered behind the skirting boards.</p><p>Albus had found many interesting things out about himself at the end of the last term but by far the most astounding was the fact that he could talk to snakes. He supposed he may have found it out sooner, but he had never been around one before let alone been able to try and converse with one. Trixie may have seemed scary at first, who wouldn't fear a python, but once you got to know her, she really was very sweet. She tended to mother Albus, but he never complained.</p><p>Here in his room it was almost silent. It was easy to forget the mayhem occurring in every other room in the house or the fact that they should be leaving for the station in 6 minutes. As if realising that this would be his only chance Albus made his way over to his desk. What usually was a very bare and almost unused desk was now littered with all of Scorpius's quidditch magazines and posters. However, in the corner of the desk near the wall sat a very old potions book. The cover alone showed how old the book was. Its once black leather cover had now faded with time and the spine had begun to fall apart. The book itself was of very little interest to Albus, he had already read it cover to cover many a time. No, the object of the boy's interest lay inside the book.</p><p>Slowly Albus picked the weathered book and opened it. There neatly hide within its pages was a postcard. The scene on the front was the image of purple heather. Albus turned over the postcard to read the words he had read almost a thousand times since the postcard's arrival. There written in emerald green ink read</p><p>I'll see you on the platform Al</p><p>The words sent Albus's heart racing every time he read them. He was right. This year was going to be different because this year he would hopefully have Scarlett by his side. Albus carefully placed the postcard in his trunk before going in search of Trixie and that good for nothing rat.</p><p>Meanwhile at the top of the house Rose and Scorpius laid content in each other's arms. It wasn't often they got to be like this, and it was going to be even less once they got back to Hogwarts due to their OWLs.</p><p>"I wish we could stay like this" Rose sighed</p><p>"So, do I, not having to worry about your father breathing down our backs or being too "gooey" around Albus" Scorpius replied</p><p>Silence fell around them for a brief moment before Rose turned to face her boyfriend.</p><p>"How is Albus?" She asked</p><p>"He's okay I think, actually I think he is better than okay, he is actually looking forward to going back to Hogwarts"</p><p>"See that's what I'm finding strange, you'd think that after everything that happened at the end of last year that Hogwarts would be the last place he wants to be"</p><p>Scorpius looked at Rose thoughtfully. "The problem is R that we don't know what happened last year, he never speaks of it and he's changed so much in such a short amount of time"</p><p>"He really has changed hasn't he" She whispered</p><p>The first few weeks after Albus's return had been stressful for all the family especially Rose and Scorpius. They were both so close to Albus and there were times during those weeks that they barely recognised him.</p><p>"It'll be okay R, he may have changed slightly but he is still Albus"</p><p>Rose smiled at him before leaning down and kissing him. Scorpius as always was quick to reciprocate. Kissing Rose was one of his favourite things to do and it wasn't something he got to do often here.</p><p>"SCORPIUS! ROSE! DOWNSTAIRS NOW WE ARE LEAVING!" Ron bellowed up the stairs</p><p>Both teenagers groaned before breaking apart.</p><p>"We will have to continue this later" Rose murmured</p><p>Scorpius grinned "Definitely"</p><p>They hurriedly made their way downstairs, grabbing their trunks on the way. In the living room everyone was stood waiting. All the children had their trunks and pets ready next to them.</p><p>"Did you find Twitch?" Rose asked</p><p>Hugo grinned before holding up the little cage that housed the troublesome rat.</p><p>"Yeah, Albus found him at the back of the skirting boards" Hugo said grinning</p><p>"Yeah we never thought to check them, it's a good job Albus did" James said whilst patting his younger brother on the back.</p><p>Albus just smiled casually. Scorpius sent him a questioning look but Albus merely winked at him. Scorpius got the feeling that Albus had a bit of help of the serpent variety.</p><p>"Right come on let's go otherwise we aren't going to make that train" Albus said lifting his trunk and owl cage and heading towards the door.</p><p>"Is he feeling okay?" Harry whispered to Ginny. Ginny looked concerned but made no comment.</p><p>"He's right let's move" Hermione said. She began ushering everyone out of the house.</p><p>Platform 9 3/4 was always bustling with life on the 1st of September. Old and new students alike littered the platform. The Potter Granger Weasley clan had obtained a section of the platform for themselves in order to say goodbye. All the children were saying their goodbyes to their parents and making sure they had everything. Everyone except Albus, who was currently looking up and down the platform.</p><p>"Albus are you planning on saying goodbye to your parents?" Mrs Weasley asked</p><p>Albus however did not seem to be paying any interest at what his grandmother had just said and continued to be searching the platform.</p><p>"Albus sweetheart are you okay?" Ginny asked moving towards her son in concern. The whole family looked perplexed by the boy's behaviour.</p><p>"I'm fine Mum" Albus replied, still not taking his eyes off his surroundings.</p><p>"Albus Severus Potter what is the matter?! You have been acting strange all day" Ginny yelled</p><p>Albus jumped and turned to stare at his mother. He looked slightly confused as to her outburst.</p><p>"Albus what's wrong?" Scorpius asked</p><p>"Nothings wrong guys" He answered. He moved cautiously over to his mum before enveloping her in his arms. "Honestly, mum everything is okay, I'm just a bit distracted is all"</p><p>"Sweetheart after everything that happened last year, we are just worried about you" Ginny answered</p><p>"Don't worry mum I'm fine" he whispered into her hair. He slowly pulled away from his mum to hug his dad, who had moved over to where they stood.</p><p>"Come on guys we are all getting a bit too sappy now" James said, Lily nodded in agreement smiling cheekily at Albus.</p><p>"What do you suggest we talk about then Jamie in the last 5 minutes before we board?" Louis asked curiously</p><p>"Well for starters the really fit girl with long black hair that's walking this way" James grinned before jutting his head to the left.</p><p>Albus quickly pulled away from his parents to turn in the direction of the girl. As soon as he laid eyes on her he froze.</p><p>"Okay Albus I'll admit she is very pretty, but you don't need to stare at her like that" Hugo joked</p><p>The mysterious girl however was also now staring at Albus before a huge grin appeared on her face and she broke out into a run.</p><p>"What's she doing?" Lily asked however no one had time to reply before she nimbly leapt into Albus's arms.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Emerald Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Where was she? There was less than 10 minutes till they had to board the train and Albus had still yet to see her. His family, as always, had taken up a large section of the platform in order to bid their farewells as well as give the appropriate warnings to stay out of trouble. Not that any of them paid the slightest bit of attention to them. For the first time ever Scorpius and his father Draco were joining them on the platform.<br/>Albus scoured the platform looking up and down but he still couldn't see Scarlett. He could vaguely hear the voices of his family asking him questions but to be honest he wasn't paying much attention. The only thought on his mind was seeing the girl again who he had shared such an ordeal with during the end of last term.<br/>“Albus sweetheart are you okay?” His mother asked. However, he continued to pay little attention to her and kept searching the platform.<br/>"I'm fine Mum" Albus murmured distractedly, hoping it would keep her happy<br/>"Albus Severus Potter what is the matter?! You have been acting strange all day" His mother yelled<br/>Albus jumped and turned to stare at his mother, confused as to her outburst. His mother most of the time was a very chilled out woman. She very rarely shouted or raised her voice off the quidditch pitch.<br/>"Albus what's wrong?" Scorpius asked. Albus turned to look at his best friend. Was he really acting that off to the point everyone was calling him out of it? Looking between the concerned faces of his parents and Scorpius he knew he had to put their minds at ease quickly.<br/>"Nothing’s wrong guys" He answered. He moved cautiously over to his mum before carefully enveloping her in his arms. "Honestly, mum everything is okay, I'm just a bit distracted is all" He murmured<br/>"Sweetheart after everything that happened last year, we are just worried about you" His mum answered<br/>"Don't worry mum I'm fine" he whispered into her hair. He slowly pulled away from his mum. He then noticed that his father had come closer to them. Before things got too awkward Albus pulled is Dad into a hug. His Dad froze at first before wrapping his arms tightly around his middle child. Things between the two were a lot better now than they had been the year before.<br/>"Come on guys we are all getting a bit too sappy now" James said, Lily nodded in agreement smiling cheekily at Albus. He knew they both would start checking on him more often at school after this. Great. He loved them both dearly but sometimes they could get a bit much.<br/>"What do you suggest we talk about then Jamie in the last 5 minutes before we board?" Louis asked curiously. Albus smirked into his fathers’ shoulder. James hated the nickname he had given him, unfortunately for him it had stuck.<br/>"Well for starters the really fit girl with long black hair that's walking this way" James grinned before jutting his head to the left. <br/>As soon as he had processed his brother’s words Albus quickly pulled away from his parents to turn in the direction of the girl. As soon as he laid eyes on her he froze.<br/>Albus locked eyes with the most breath-taking pair of green eyes he had ever seen. They seemed to gleam like beautiful emeralds giving her a sense of innocence however, he knew there was a cunning in them that was able to make even the bravest of men shiver. Finally, he could see her. He knew the moment that she saw him as the biggest smile he had ever seen graced her face. She started to make her way towards him, and he could only stand there in absolute shock before sluggishly putting his arms out. Within seconds she had leapt into his arms and it felt like his soul had come back to his body. Albus couldn't explain the feeling of having her in his arms again, it was like nothing he had ever experienced. The scent of her cinnamon perfume filled his nose as her soft hair tickled his face. He had to hold back the urge to spin her around there on the platform. Reluctantly they pulled apart and he could take a proper look at her face.<br/>She looked slightly older than he remembered, and he noticed that a new scar had appeared on her left cheek. She also looked slightly thinner which he could attribute to the fact that she had not been home in a very long time. Her long raven hair as always shined in the light. He knew he probably looked weird, but he couldn't stop himself from drinking in the sight of her. Thankfully, it seemed she was doing the same thing. <br/>“Hey" she whispered<br/>“Hey” he replied grinning like a fool.<br/>A cough to the left of them brought the rest of the family back to their attention.<br/>“Albus are you going to introduce us?” Scorpius asked <br/>Albus grinned sheepishly at his best friend. He felt bad that he hadn’t told anybody about Scarlett especially Scorpius. They rarely kept secrets.<br/>“Yes, everyone this is Scarlett, Scarlett this is my family and my best friend Scorpius" he introduced.<br/>“Its a pleasure to meet you all, I’ve heard so much about you" Scarlett replied <br/>“We haven’t heard anything about you" James replied coldly. <br/>Uncomfortable silence fell around the group at James’s outburst. Albus glared at James. He knew his family must have been shocked by the sudden new presence but there was no need to be rude.<br/>Scarlett as always was quick to try and diffuse the tension.<br/>“That was entirely my fault, the less people that knew about me and my whereabouts the better for my safety" she answered easily.<br/>James as Albus suspected had not been expecting that kind of answer and immediately lost his cold harsh persona. However, he remained on guard.<br/>“So, Scarlett, how do you know my grandson?” Mrs Weasley asked. Albus smiled at her, she always was the most accepting person in the family. Plus, she had a soft spot for her Slytherin grandson.<br/>“Well we met at the end of the last school year, in May” She replied<br/>“You can’t have done, Albus wasn’t at school in May… oh” Lily trailed off, her doe eyes wide. “You were there weren’t you” She whispered <br/>“I was” Scarlett replied simply. <br/>“Oh you poor dear” Mrs Weasley cried before pulling a very surprised Scarlett into her arms. Scarlett wasn’t the only one who was surprised, the entire clan looked shocked at the affection apart from Mr Weasley. He stared proudly at his wife and her show of compassion to a stranger.<br/>Suddenly the trains whistle blew making everyone jump. It was the last chance to board. <br/>“Come on you lot you need to get on that train” Uncle Bill ordered.<br/>With that everyone grabbed their trunks and animals and started to make their way towards the train. <br/>“My bags are on the train; I’ll meet you onboard” Scarlett murmured before gesturing to his parents. Albus quickly nodded before watching her head towards the end carriage. <br/>“I want all 3 of you to be good this year and please look after each other” Harry said to his children. The 3 of them nodded quickly before hugging their parent’s goodbye.<br/>“Albus, we will be talking about this further at Halloween” His mother whispered to him before letting him go. He nodded slightly before sprinting towards the train with Scorpius in tow.<br/>The last compartment on the carriage was filled with Scarlett and selection of his siblings and cousins. He had barely sat down before the train began to move out of the station.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Tense Train Rides</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The train pulled out of the station; the bustling view of London was quickly replaced with the cascading hills of the countryside. For once the carriage was quiet, it seemed nobody knew what to say. <br/>James continued to give his brother strange looks as well as side eyeing Scarlett from the corner of his eye. Albus tried to understand where James was coming from but to be honest his looks were starting to annoy him. Albus resigned himself to staring out of the window and occasionally glancing across at Scarlett. She too was remaining unusually quiet. The train ride to Hogwarts was always one of the most peaceful things that Albus experienced during a school year. He could never get over the different sights he saw on that one journey. Albus remained that way for around half an hour before a knock on the compartment door broke him from his thoughts. <br/>There stood at the door was Oscar, Leah and Charlie all fellow Slytherins and classmates. Scorpius smiled at them and motioned for them to come in.<br/>“Great more weirdos” James huffed.<br/>“Shut up” Albus said glaring at his brother. “They are my friends”<br/>The door slid open and all 3 poked their heads through.<br/>“Hey guys, we’ve been looking for the two of you. We wanted to know if you wanted to come and sit with us?” Oscar asked<br/>“Yeah, we have a compartment on the second carriage with some of the other 5th year Slytherins” Leah chimed in.<br/>Before either Albus or Scorpius could reply James butted in.<br/>“Sorry snakes but these two are spending the trip with family this year, so I’d get lost if I were you” He interjected<br/>The three newcomers looked shocked at the response. So did Albus, Scorpius and Scarlett. <br/>“Sorry guys that’s just the way it is. They want to be with their family” Louis said, backing James. Lily, Hugo and Rose nodded in agreement.<br/>“I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m hearing you right” Charlie laughed. “Your saying that for the first time ever you Gryffindor’s want to spend time with Al and Scorp?”<br/>“You make us sound like we don’t care about my brother” Lily retorted<br/>“Well you don’t” Leah replied <br/>“Excuse me?!” James exclaimed “Are you having a go at my little sister, are you questioning our loyalty to our brother?”<br/>Within seconds Lily, James and Louis were stood chest to chest with the 3 Slytherin’s. Neither side was backing down. Albus looked over to Scorpius but quickly realised he would be no help in the matter as he was sat whispering to Rose. <br/>“Thoughts?” He whispered to Scarlett<br/>“Your family seems to want to keep tabs on us both, I’m not sure how I feel about that” She replied<br/>Albus mulled that thought over in his head. What his housemates were saying was true. His family very rarely had anything to do with him once they left the platform. Plus, he was going to have a hard time speaking to Scarlett without everything being reported back by his family. He really didn’t want that. <br/>“Scorpius are you coming?” He asked his best friend standing up.<br/>Scorpius looked over shocked. He genuinely hadn’t thought that the group was moving. <br/>“Where are you going?” He stuttered<br/>“We are going to sit with the rest of the snakes” Albus replied, giving a quick meaningful glance at his siblings. <br/>“Erm…” Scorpius glanced between Albus and Rose, torn<br/>Scarlett stood, placing her hand on Albus’s arm. She smiled gently at him. “Let Scorpius stay here with Rose; they obviously want to spend some time together”<br/>Albus nodded before giving his friend an understanding smile. “We will meet you at the carriages” He said <br/>Scorpius grinned before nodding at them both. With that Albus took Scarlett’s hand and pulled her past his family and out of the compartment to his friends. <br/>“We’ll see you guys later” He told his family before following the Slytherins down the train, paying little attention to his siblings cries of protest.</p><p>The compartment only had a few others in. 2 of the lads Albus recognised from his DADA classes and there was a girl who he had seen around the common room. They merely nodded their head in greeting before going back to their conversation. Once in the compartment Albus breathed a sigh of relief.<br/>“How are you then?” Oscar asked<br/>“I’m not bad mate, better now” He replied<br/>“So, are you going to be rude or are you going to introduce us?” Leah asked gesturing to Scarlett<br/>“Right sorry” Albus stammered suddenly nervous. “This is Scarlett, Scarlett this is Oscar, Leah and Charlie. They are all in Slytherin house with Scorpius and I” <br/>“Lovely to meet you” Scarlett replied smiling<br/>“You too” Oscar replied giving her a cheeky grin. Albus bristled slightly at the attention he was giving Scarlett. <br/>“So how did a beautiful lass like you meet a guy like Albus?” Oscar asked leaning closer to Scarlett. Albus had to stop himself from saying anything. He shouldn’t be this protective of Scarlett, she was free to do as she liked. The same way Oscar was free to make an advance on her if he chose to, within reason.<br/>“We met last May” Scarlett answered simply<br/>“Albus went missing last May” Leah replied confused<br/>“Yes, I know”<br/>“Then, how could you?... unless you were there” Leah exclaimed. Both boys exchanged interested looks.<br/>“You were kidnapped as well?” Charlie asked tentatively<br/>“Not exactly” Scarlett replied<br/>“Then how?” He persisted<br/>“It doesn’t matter okay” Albus quickly interjected. He didn’t need people asking questions and coming to the wrong conclusions. “Sorry can we just not talk about it guys, too many bad memories”<br/>Leah patted his knee sympathetically “Of course Hun, I’m sorry”<br/>“Yeah sorry man” The two lads chorused<br/>Awkward silence fell in the carriage as everyone avoided each other’s gaze. The silence stretched on for at least an hour until Charlie stood up muttering something about grabbing food from the trolley. Oscar and Leah were quick to join him. <br/>Albus turned to smile reassuringly at Scarlett but found her attention was on the window outside. The sky had gone from a vivid blue to a deep grey. It would probably be another hour or so before they reached Hogsmeade. <br/>“You okay?” He asked <br/>She merely nodded her head, still transfixed by the changing scenery of the window. Albus resolved himself to watch with her for a while. He didn’t know how long they sat there staring but eventually the remaining inhabitants of the cabin left to go seek food and other friends.<br/>“I thought they’d never leave” Scarlett whispered into the silence<br/>Albus smiled. “Neither did I” He admitted. He turned his face slightly so he could see her. <br/>“It seems so long since we were last alone together” She murmured thoughtfully.<br/>“Yeah it does”<br/>Albus cast his mind back briefly to the few occasions where they were truly alone. That whole month had been taxing on him, body mind and soul. His moments with Scarlett had kept him sane even though a lot of the time they were only brief.<br/>“I’ve missed you” He whispered<br/>She grinned at him shyly. “I’ve missed you too”<br/>As if he couldn’t control himself Albus reached up to brush the hair out of her face. He slowly cupped her chin. Both were caught in the others gaze, their breathing stuttered. The air filled with a sort of electricity that had them leaning closer until…<br/>The door of the compartment was wrenched open as Oscar and Charlie came tumbling in laden with all sorts of snacks. Albus and Scarlett flew apart from each other.<br/>“Everything alright?” Charlie sniggered<br/>“Great” Albus muttered before turning back to the window.<br/>Everyone kept to themselves for the rest of the journey, each taking it in turns to quickly get changed before they reached the castle. Scarlett had yet to be sorted into a house, so her robes were blank like the rest of the first years.<br/>Albus wondered if she would be put into Slytherin, he hoped so.</p><p>It was nightfall by the time they got to the station. The platform was a swirl of commotion as the first years swarmed around everyone trying to see as much as they could. Hagrid as always stood out from the crowd. As soon as they departed the train, he spotted them and bellowed for Albus.<br/>James and Lily had always gotten along with the games keeper more than he had but he was still always kind and welcoming to Albus.<br/>“How are you Albus?” Hagrid boomed when they reached him<br/>“I’m good thank you Hagrid, yourself?” He asked politely, very aware of the dozens of first years watching him.<br/>“Can’t complain, its been a nice summer. Shame I didn’t manage to see your Dad over the holidays. I do miss him, and your Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione. They are all well I presume” He asked<br/>“Yes, they are all well thanks”<br/>Hagrid smiled happily before turning his eyes to the girl on Albus’s right. “Now then who’s this?”<br/>“Hagrid this is Scarlett, Scarlett this is Hagrid” Albus responded<br/>“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, I assume then that you’re the young lass I’ll be taking with the first years?” Hagrid asked<br/>“I believe so” Scarlett said. <br/>“Well then we better get a move on” “FIRST YEARS FOLLOW ME!” He bellowed<br/>Scarlett quickly turned to face Albus looking slightly panicked.<br/>“What if I get put in a different house?” She asked. Albus chuckled slightly before pulling her into a hug. She hesitated for a second before sinking into it. <br/>“You, anything less than a cunning and ambitious Slytherin? Never” He whispered in her ear.<br/>“ALBUS COME ON WE ARE GONNA MISS THE CARRIAGES!” <br/>They broke apart to see his family and Scorpius stood in a large clump. The platform had all but emptied now.<br/>“Go” Scarlett laughed.<br/>“Ill see you at the feast” Albus replied<br/>“Save me a seat” She responded before turning to catch up with the departing first years.<br/>“I will” He whispered to no one.<br/>“ALBUS COME ON!” <br/>He sighed before jogging to catch his family, knowing full well they had witnessed everything.<br/>His family however were not the only ones to have observed the scene, lurking in the trees hidden in the shadows a figure silently waited.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. She's a what!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Albus trudged behind his family along the worn path that led to the carriages. Scorpius and Rose were talking animatedly about the upcoming transfiguration modules whilst Lily and Hugo proceeded to pull faces at them from behind their backs. Somewhere on the platform James had caught up with his girlfriend Sarah. Sarah was a sweet girl who had long blonde hair and grey eyes. She was a very maternal person, which was probably why she was a Hufflepuff. To this day Albus didn't know how a kind person like her got with an arse like his brother. It was probably like his mother kept telling him, opposites attract.</p><p>The moon was shining over head in the midnight blue sky, its light gave an ethereal feel to the forest that surrounded them. If he concentrated enough, he could hear the crickets and the bubble of a nearby brook. It was so peaceful and Albus found it easy to block out the noise of his family and friends nattering.</p><p>All of a sudden, the hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle and to his right he could hear twigs snapping and heavy breathing. They were being followed. Albus casually slide his hand into the pockets of his robes and clenched his fingers around his wand. He didn't want to inform whoever was following him that he knew of their presence. He knew he needed to get closer to his family without seeming suspicious.</p><p>Thankfully just at that moment Scorpius turned and caught his eye, smiling. He gestured with his hands for his friend to hurry up. Albus quickened his pace to catch up with the group, his eyes scanning his surrounding to see if he could make out a form.</p><p>"Come on slow coach" Scorpius laughed when he caught up to them. Albus pulled a face at his friend before falling into step with him and Rose.</p><p>"Are you excited for the feast? I'm absolutely starving" Rose asked. It took Albus a second to realise she was talking to him.</p><p>"Oh, yeah I am" He replied</p><p>"Me too" Scorpius exclaimed. His hand was still laced with Rose's and Albus could tell the two were</p><p>positively giddy with how open they could be in their affection.</p><p>"So… how was your train ride" Rose asked. She was hiding behind her hair but Albus could hear see the smirk she had on her face.</p><p>"It was fine, pretty quiet" He answered nonchalantly, whilst doing a quick head count to make sure all his family were present.</p><p>"That's funny, cause we ran into Charlie when we got to Hogsmeade" She replied. She moved the mass of hair from her face and grinned at her cousin.</p><p>"So?" Albus asked.</p><p>"Well, he said it looked like you and Scarlett got rather… close whilst no one was in the compartment" She grinned</p><p>"Don't know what you're talking about" He could feel his face starting to heat up. He just hoped that it was too dark for her to be able to see that.</p><p>"I think you do" She answered. "Is she your girlfriend?"</p><p>"WHAT?! NO!" Albus exclaimed</p><p>Whilst Scorpius jumped at his outburst, Rose merely raised her eyebrow.</p><p>"So, she is just a friend?" She asked</p><p>"Yes" He sighed</p><p>"I don't buy it; it took forever for you to be 100% comfortable around Scorpius. Like we are talking 3 years at least and you've known this girl a month and it's like she's part of you"</p><p>"Rose has got a point Al" Scorpius agreed. His use of his nickname did not go unnoticed on Albus. He rarely used it anymore.</p><p>"Look" He replied trying to keep a hold of his temper. "If you guys had gone through what we had during that month then you'd be extremely close as well." He sighed "The other was the only thing keeping you alive"</p><p>"Albus" Rose whispered, placing her hand soothingly on his left shoulder. Another hand rubbed his right shoulder. He jumped slightly but quickly realised that it was Scorpius.</p><p>"I'm sorry mate, it's just you never talk about what happened that month" Scorpius murmured</p><p>"I know, to be honest I'm still trying to process some of it, I'll tell you eventually. Having Scarlett here might help with that" He responded</p><p>Scorpius nodded. They have reached the carriages by now; the rest of his family were piling into the last available carriage. Albus motioned for Rose and Scorpius to get in first. James stood up to help Rose up when he froze.</p><p>"Who's that?" he asked</p><p>"I don't know" Rose replied</p><p>"I swear we were the last ones off the platform" James muttered</p><p>"Maybe they're lost?" Rose suggested</p><p>Albus turned slowly. Coming out of the trees further down the road was a man dressed all in black. His robes billowed out from behind him and his face was covered with shadows. This was no Hogwarts student; they weren't even a teenager. Albus watched him closely, positive that he was observing his stalker. It took a few seconds for Albus to take in the slight limp to his walk but when he did that was all Albus needed to recognise their stalker.</p><p>He hadn't seen the man face to face in months, but he still plagued the young wizards nightmares, he was an incredibly dangerous man. He would have no problem with killing every single one of them without a second thought. It wouldn't be a painless undertaking either, it would be torture.</p><p>"We have to move now!" Albus exclaimed at his brother.</p><p>Usually, James would question every decision especially any orders that Albus directed at him however, the blind panic in his brothers voice made him realise there was no time. Quick as a flash, he pushed Rose and Scorpius into the carriage.</p><p>"How are we going to move fast, the carriage has one speed" He said to his brother</p><p>"No, it doesn't, I'll make the thestral move quicker" Albus replied keeping his eyes on the man.</p><p>"You can see them?"</p><p>"Not the time Jamie, get on the roof and try to remember every defensive spell you know, this guy won't mess around" He yelled before heading to the front of the carriage. James did as he was told. The man was getting closer now, his wand was drawn.</p><p>The carriage spurred to life and pulled away with frightening speed. The inhabitants of the carriage all screamed.</p><p>"We need to make it to the gates" Albus yelled. Coming to sit next to him on the roof, his wand was also drawn. James had not seen him get onto the carriage but somehow, he had managed it.</p><p>"Surely he can't catch us now" James replied</p><p>"Yes, he can, look" Albus motioned, his face grim</p><p>The man was somehow nearly keeping pace with the carriage.</p><p>"Why is it I have a feeling you know this man"</p><p>"Because I do" Albus replied stiffly "Faster" He yelled. The carriage picked up even more speed.</p><p>"Albus!" James yelled frantically hanging onto the roof</p><p>A stream of spells began flying towards the two brothers. To James's surprise Albus began to block them.</p><p>"Can you see the gates!" Albus yelled, still blocking spell after spell. Still in shock to be any help to his little brother James turned to see the gate approaching them very quickly.</p><p>"It's there, we are going to crash!" He yelled</p><p>"Well then open it, you idiot" His brother yelled, voice strained in concentration. He was blocking hexes left right and centre.</p><p>"ABERTO" James yelled. The gates flew open, nearly tearing off their hinges in their haste to open. The carriage now had a considerable lead on the cloaked wizard.</p><p>They sailed through the gates and both James and Albus fell from the top of the carriage as the track changed surface. Albus managed to keep his footing however, James landed face first. A sickening crunch sounded as his nose made contact with the floor.</p><p>"COLLOPORTUS" Albus yelled and the gates snapped shut. The man came to a stop a few inches from the gate.</p><p>"You made it just in time boy" He sneered, his voice deep and gravelly "We can't touch you once you're here but be warned as soon as you leave, you and that traitor of a witch are ours" He then apparated away.</p><p>Albus breathed a sigh of relief before his leg crumpled from under him and he sank to the floor. He turned to see his brother hauling himself onto his knees. A stream of crimson red blood poured down his face.</p><p>"You okay" Albus asked</p><p>"Yeah, you?" He responded</p><p>"I am now"</p><p>The pounding of footsteps could be heard before both boys were swarmed by their family. Obviously, the carriage had managed to stop.</p><p>"Is everyone okay?" Sarah asked before holding a tissue to James's bloody nose.</p><p>"Yeah, we are fine, are you guys all okay?" Albus asked</p><p>"A bit shaken but we will all be okay, what the hell was going on?" Sarah asked</p><p>"We were being chased by a dark wizard, he seemed to know Albus" James said</p><p>All eyes turned to face the middle Potter child. Albus had a difficult time meeting their gaze. They all wanted answers, but he really wasn't in a position to give them right now. He needed to find Scarlett.</p><p>"Who was he?" Louis asked curiously</p><p>"I'll tell you some other time, but we are currently late for the feast, so we better get a move on" Albus answered before brushing himself off and heading towards the castle.</p><p>"No!" Rose yelled "You tell us right now!"</p><p>Albus paused briefly, his back still to them all. "I will tell you but here is not the time nor the place" Albus then continued his walk towards the castle. Eventually his family followed behind him and it wasn't long before Scorpius fell into step beside him.</p><p>They all managed to be seated just before the first years arrived for the sorting ceremony.<br/>"What took you guys so long?" Leah asked as soon as the two boys sat down<br/>"Nothing, family stuff is all" Albus responded before turning his attention back to McGonagall's welcome speech. Scorpius opened his mouth to explain before promptly shutting it again. He realised that aside from being chased by a scary man he really didn't know what the hell was going on.</p><p>Just as the speech finished the huge wooden doors opened revealing the scared and awed faces of the first years. Right at the back of the pack stood Scarlett, she seemed slightly on edge however she gave Albus a quick smile when she met his eye.</p><p>"What house do you reckon she's gonna be in?" Oscar asked excitedly. His eyes remained fixed on Scarlett.</p><p>"Slytherin I hope" Albus answered. Already the great hall was full of whispers and comments as to why an older pupil was with the first years.</p><p>"It would be great if she was" Oscar replied dreamily. Scorpius had to fight back a chuckle at the glare Albus sent Oscar. His best friend really didn't realise how bad he had it for this girl.</p><p>The sorting ceremony proceeded as normal, Slytherin welcomed some new members to their ranks all of whom looked slightly terrified at the prospect of their new house.</p><p>"There is a lot of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs this year" Leah pointed out quietly. The group nodded in agreement. Gryffindor had only received 3 new additions with Slytherin ahead at 5. The other 2 houses had taken about half the year between them.</p><p>"Lestrange Scarlett" McGonagall called out. The room became hushed in shock. Albus refused to meet his friends and families eyes, knowing the shock they had due to Scarlett's family name.</p><p>Scarlett took a deep breath before approaching the stool, the sorting hat was promptly placed on her head.</p><p>"Lestrange?" Scorpius questioned. His face a picture of shock.</p><p>"Shhhhh" Albus murmured gesturing to the sorting hat.</p><p>"Ahhh a Lestrange, I wondered when another one of you would appear" The sorting hat exclaimed gleefully. "Where to put you though is difficult, you are brave… and you don't lack courage. You are smart yet empathetic and kind. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff would be glad to have you. However, I don't think they would nurture you in the best way. You're also cunning, you have an ambition to succeed, resourceful too with great power. Only one house could bring out the greatness and power I see in you"</p><p>"SLYTHERIN!" The sorting hat bellowed</p><p>Slytherin table broke out into applause at the news. Scarlett quickly made her way to the table. She passed the first years and prefects who had made room for her.</p><p>"Budge up" Albus muttered to Charlie who was sat on his left. The boy moved up confused and slightly annoyed. He seat had not been vacated 3 seconds before Scarlett was sat in it. She grinned at Albus.</p><p>"Told you you'd make it into Slytherin" He laughed</p><p>"You never know, the other houses had claims to my soul" She responded cheekily</p><p>"Would you have gone to them if they claimed your soul?" He asked quietly</p><p>"Nah Slytherin had a greater claim"</p><p>"To your soul?"</p><p>"Not my soul" she whispered shyly. Albus felt his cheeks heat up but he couldn't pull the stupid grin off his face that appeared from the potential meaning of her words.</p><p>The sorting ceremony was over in minutes and with a few final words from McGonagall the feast began. Heaps of food appeared on the tables. Plates laden with drumsticks, burgers, sandwiches, fruit and other assorted dishes. Puddings that housed more whipped cream than Albus' s mum would ever allow them to have also appeared.</p><p>"Wow, you weren't kidding about the food" Scarlett breathed in wonder. Albus laughed slightly at her expression but his own hunger made itself known and he began reaching for the chicken drumsticks.</p><p>Meanwhile on the Gryffindor table Lily was watching Hugo inhale half of the food in front of her with a bemused expression. James was uncharacteristically quiet next to her, his plate all but forgotten in front of him. His eyes were glued to the Slytherin table.</p><p>"Would you stop staring at them and get on with your dinner" Lily said sternly to her eldest brother.</p><p>"She's a Lestrange Lily!" He appealed in disgust</p><p>"So what?"</p><p>"You know that that family is bad news" He replied.</p><p>Lily sighed. She could understand why her mother got so worn out with being around James and her father for long periods of time now. They were so set in their blinkered vison ways. James may not look much like their father, but his mannerisms and attitudes were a carbon copy. He took their dad's word as gospel on everything. Albus on the other hand looked fairly like their dad but he was very different from him. Albus didn't judge people on their family or his Dad's opinion but rather on the person they were. Scorpius had been proof enough of this.</p><p>"Dad always said that the Malfoy family was bad news and that they were evil but look at Scorpius, he's as far from a death eater as you can get." Lily pointed out</p><p>James mulled this over for a second, his eyes drifting over the pale blonde on Albus's right side who was giggling merrily over his trifle.</p><p>"No Scorpius isn't evil" He admitted with a slight affectionate smile. Scorpius had become such a large part of their life over the years that James almost viewed him as another brother.</p><p>"Exactly and who made us see that? Who trusted him before anyone else because he knew he was a good person and was nothing like his grandfather?" Lily asked gently</p><p>James sighed. "Albus" He answered</p><p>Lily placed a comforting hand on her older brothers shoulder. "Trust Albus, James. He knows what he's doing" She murmured.</p><p>Finally, James nodded before he began reaching for food. Well, what Hugo hadn't managed to eat yet.</p><p>Scarlett couldn't remember being this full ever. She had gorged herself so much. Everyone else was still eating and sharing stories about their summer. Scarlett had spent the entire evening avoiding the flirty looks that Oscar kept throwing her way. He was a lovely guy, but she really wasn't interested.</p><p>She was just letting herself fall into a daze when she felt long fingers wind cautiously around her own under the table. Scarlett turned slightly to see Albus looking at her. However, instead of seeing a grin on his face he looked quite grave.</p><p>"Everything okay" She asked quietly</p><p>"Tarquin was here" He whispered.</p><p>A bucket of ice-cold water swept through Scarlett's veins. He couldn't be here!</p><p>"What!?" Scarlett asked</p><p>"He chased my family and I from the carriages to the gates, he tried to kill us Scarlett"</p><p>"Why didn't you say anything sooner?"</p><p>"Because I was waiting for everyone to fall into a food coma so we could avoid any unnecessary questions" Albus reasoned. Scarlett tried to nod in understanding, but everything seemed to be getting more closed in. The once clear voices of the people around her had become muffled like she was underwater.</p><p>"Scar breathe" Albus's voice cut through the drone.</p><p>"I'm trying" She gasped</p><p>"Hey, it's going to be okay. They can't touch us whilst we are here" Albus reassured. His fingers weaved between hers as he took her hand. It reminded Scarlett of when he would do that to keep her grounded during their month in that God forsaken cave. Scarlett focused on the pressure of his hand and slowly began to take in slow deep breaths. The noise in the Great Hall became unmuffled as the panic slowly began to subside.</p><p>"Better?" Albus asked</p><p>"Better" Scarlett agreed</p><p>"Everything okay?" Scorpius asked directing his attention to the two of them.</p><p>"Yeah, everything is fine Scorp" Albus answered flashing his best friend a big smile.</p><p>"Is she okay?" He persisted motioning to Scarlett</p><p>"Honestly, Scorpius I'm fine, I just ate too much" Scarlett replied cheerily.</p><p>"Okay" He replied with a smile. He wasn't an idiot. Scorpius could clearly see that there was something wrong and he would bet his last bag of sweets that it had something to do with that man who had chased them early. He vowed he would ask Albus when they got back to the dorms.</p><p>Scorpius smirked; he would also make sure to ask Albus as to why he was currently holding Scarlett's hand under the table.</p><p>After the feast, the group all made their way back to the dungeons. The Castle was starting to become cold as the frosty night air swept in. Everyone was tired from the long day and looking forward to getting back to their dorms. Lessons started in the morning which meant that they all needed to be well rested. Scorpius was slightly forlorn that he was unable to say a proper goodnight to Rose, but the group had pried him away from the Gryffindor with ease ignoring all his protests. All he managed was a quick peck before being ripped from the Great Hall. Oscar had taken to pointing out key features and classrooms to Scarlett on their walk. Scarlett merely smiled and nodded at his information. Her eyes kept glancing to the boy on her left who seemed to be in his own world. Albus had been quiet after they left the hall though he did keep brushing his hand against Scarlett's and smiling so she knew he was okay.</p><p>The Slytherin common room was even more beautiful than Scarlett could have imagined. The vast array of obsidian leather couches, emerald green curtains and bright crackling fires made her feel instantly at home. The large window that looked into the black lake was especially mesmerizing.</p><p>Oscar noticed her staring. "I personally hate that window, sometimes you see that horrible bloody squid"</p><p>"That sounds wonderful" She replied already placing her hands against the window. The waters were dark but clear. Nothing much could be seen aside from the occasional fish and the plants</p><p>"You sound just like Albus" Leah commented wryly</p><p>"That a bad thing?" She asked</p><p>"No" Albus responded quietly. She hadn't realised that he had come along behind her. His eyes were also captivated by the scene outside the window.</p><p>"Come on Al, we need to head to bed. We have transfiguration first thing" Scorpius yelled from halfway up the stairs.</p><p>Albus sighed, he didn't want to go to sleep but he knew Scorpius was right. The last thing you wanted to do was be tired during transfiguration.</p><p>He turned to Scarlett apologetically. "Leah will take you up to the girls dorm, everything will be waiting there for you" Scarlett nodded. She didn't want to say goodnight just yet, but it seemed she didn't have an option.</p><p>"Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning then" She replied</p><p>"Definitely. We will meet you down here in the morning and all head to breakfast together"</p><p>"ALBUS, BED!" Scorpius yelled causing Scarlett to giggle</p><p>"Go on off to bed, you don't want to make him cranky" Leah lightly scolded "I'll take care of her"</p><p>Albus nodded before heading up the stairs to his dorm.</p><p>"Well, today was eventful" Scorpius sighed, sliding into his bed.</p><p>"Understatement" Albus muttered as he paddled out of the bathroom, towel hung around his waist.</p><p>A comfortable silence hung in the air as Albus quickly got ready for bed. He had just laid down when the door flew open and Oscar, Charlie and Tristan barged into the room. All 3 had their ties wrapped around their heads.</p><p>"You alright?" Oscar asked in greeting</p><p>"Yeah, good thanks, you?" Scorpius responded. A bemused smiled stretched across his face.</p><p>"Yeah, we are great, been talking to some of the girls downstairs" Tristan replied wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.</p><p>Albus rolled his eyes. Tristan was the lothario off the dorm, they rarely hung out outside of the dungeons due to the fact he preferred the company of a large group of girls. All the girls loved him, and he knew it. He was a decent looking guy. Tall, chestnut brown hair, blue eyes and he was one of the beaters for the Slytherin quidditch team which meant he was bloody strong. He could see why they liked him however, he took far too much time on his hair and he didn't always speak properly about woman in Albus's opinion.</p><p>"Hey Potter, we were just talking about the latest addition to 5th year Slytherin" Tristan called</p><p>"Yeah? What about her?" He asked</p><p>"Well, we were wondering which one of us 3 she would go for" He answered</p><p>"Dunno" Albus answered, not liking the direction the conversation was going in.</p><p>"Fair enough, she is a hot piece though" Tristan laughed "She'll be mine before Halloween"</p><p>Albus felt his teeth grind together in an effort to keep quiet, he hated it when Tristan spoke like that about the girls anyway but when he spoke that way about Scarlett it made his blood boil.</p><p>"She is so hot, well as long as I can have her just before Christmas that's cool man" Oscar laughed. They both started fist bumping each other. Charlie however had silently made his way over to his bunk and was glancing over at Albus every couple of seconds.</p><p>"Do you reckon she has a good figure under those ro…" Tristan's trunk exploded; clothes went everywhere.</p><p>"WHAT THE HELL!" Tristan yelled "WHICH ONE OF YOU DID THAT?" he asked looking from Oscar to Charlie to Scorpius.</p><p>The 3 boys quickly shook their heads</p><p>"Well, it wasn't Potter cause he's practically a bloody squib" Tristan said</p><p>"Erm Tris" Charlie muttered before pointing over at a very pissed of Albus.</p><p>"It was you?" Tristan asked shocked</p><p>"Yes, it was, and it will be a lot worse next time if you keep talking about Scarlett like that, do you understand?" Albus threatened</p><p>Tristan merely nodded in shock. Still dumfounded at the expression of power that Albus had just shown.</p><p>"Al calm down" Scorpius murmured his hand resting gently on his friend's shoulder. Albus slumped slightly in agreement and let Scorpius drag him the rest of the way to his bed.</p><p>Without another word Albus got into his bed and pulled his curtains shut.</p><p>Scorpius turned to look at the 3 other guys in the room.</p><p>"I suggest you watch what you say from now on Tris because one day that trunk might just be your head" He warned. Charlie nodded in agreement before both boys followed Albus's example and got into bed.</p>
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